'Disaster year': Schalk speaks

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Hermanus - Schalk Burger has always been a bit of a rugby
wrecking ball, and seemingly one without an “off” switch, given the near
constant high work rate and vigour he is renowned for.

So it will be a relief to his fan club to know that the
29-year-old loose forward - confirmed here by coach Allister Coetzee on
Wednesday as resuming the Stormers captaincy in 2013 - is keenly anticipating
getting back between the white lines early next month after a previous year he
described as “a bit of a disaster” given his unusual absence for some 11 months
of it.

Coetzee told Sport24 that he anticipated fielding the 68-cap
Springbok in one of the warm-up games (they play the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein
on February 2 and Boland at Wellington on the 9th) - all going well,
it ought to signal that Burger will be ready for the start of the Super Rugby
campaign-proper against the Bulls at Loftus later in the month.

Burger himself also addressed one of the first media
opportunities he has attended in some time, following a squad training session
at a primary school here, held in typical summer Overberg heat of some 34 deg
C.

“I’m ready to go and looking forward to it. Obviously
pre-season’s been tough. Last year was a bit of a disaster; it’s good to be
back on a rugby field.

“I’ve just got to try to get my conditioning back to a level
where I can play some good rugby again. But I’ve got a lot of energy after just
about a year on the sidelines - you build up some extra motivation.

“It’s also nice captaining the side again (Springbok skipper
Jean de Villiers gets some respite from the franchise responsibility - Sport24)
but it’s not about me.

“There’s a great group of experienced leaders all around ...
I’ve really just got to do some post-match interviews and keep you guys happy!

“Hopefully it will be a really successful 2013 for the
Stormers. We’ve created many opportunities in the past to win the trophy ...
it’s a big competition and hopefully we can put ourselves right in contention
again.

“You don’t want to jump the gun; you do have to take it week
by week.”

Burger, comfortingly, has had a reputation before for
getting back into the groove notably quickly after stints on the sidelines,
though he conceded that the latest, long-term knee problem had been the most
debilitating for him.

“When you first get back from an injury there’s always
likely to be a little bit of doubt so I don’t want to heap myself with
expectations. But you get yourself into form by training well; putting in the
hard yards makes it a lot easier.

“Things can become a bit one-dimensional and stale when you
play week in and week out. Hopefully having spent some 12 months out, I’ll have
a slightly different outlook now, and put it to good use for the team.”

Burger said it was difficult bumping into rugby enthusiasts,
in public, and being asked whether he had retired, given the lengthy duration
of his absence.

“Yes, when you’re out grocery shopping - because that’s what
you do when not (active in) rugby - every second person who speaks to you says
‘are you still playing or are you retired?’

“It does give you that extra motivational to get back into
it. You’re a rugby player and want to play the game.

“But I did get good time with my wife and my little kid ...
I can tell you I’m an expert on the nappy drill.

“Still, getting back with the team makes you realise how
much you miss rugby. It’s great to be running around.

“I’ve had plenty of (shorter-term) injuries in the past and
I’m taking the view that this was kind of my sabbatical - hopefully this means
I can play now to 2025!”

While Burger was sidelined, promising Siya Kolisi played
commendably after a forced shift to the senior professional’s open-side flank
role.

But coach Coetzee seemed to play down the possibility that
Burger might do the blind-side task as a result.

“Siya was a natural seven initially, and he adapted well at
six in place of Schalk. But the key thing about our loosie combination is that
players are adaptable ... Schalk can also play at seven, and even at eight.

“Siya is also now a year wiser, a year more mature. It depends
who we are playing; what we want to achieve.”

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